A patent search was conducted on this invention and the following United States patents are noted:
The patent search was conducted on a touch sensitive light switch having sensors that are touch sensitive and covered with a smudge-proof template made of transparent plastic material. The light switch is made in a 90 degree shape so as to be mounted on a corner of a doorway; corner edge of a wall corner; or the like instead of on a vertical wall surface. This allows for the light switch to be easily found in the dark for turning on a light fixture or appliance.
Numerous references were found having touch control switches for touch sensitive switches as shown on the Raupp, Wem, McLaughlin, Leopold, and Kunen patents.
A wall-mounted touch control switch is shown in the Skarman patent but is not corner mounted.
In one preferred embodiment of this invention, a corner light switch assembly is provided having 1) a main switch body similar to an electrical receptacle box; 2) a switch body cover plate connected to and mounted about the main switch body; 3) a touch sensitive switch assembly, being three thereof, mounted within the main switch body and having a portion engageable with the switch body cover plate; and 4) a power supply cord operable to provide normal 120 volt AC power to the respective ones of the touch sensitive switch assemblies.
The main switch body includes a receptor box which is secured to a corner portion of a wall corner by anchor, members in a conventional manner.
The wall corner includes an outer corner edge to which the corner light switch assembly is to be attached.
The corner edge of a dividing, wall is a preferred application for this invention as it would be easy to find in the dark to be used in a manner to be described in detail.
The switch body cover plate is constructed of a transparent plastic material and being of substantially L-shape. The switch body cover plate includes a support section integral with a sensor section which extends 90 degrees from the support section.
The sensor section is provided with a plurality, namely three, spaced sensor openings to receive a portion of a respective one of the touch sensitive switch assemblies therein.
Each touch sensitive switch assembly includes a touch plate sensor which is energized, controlled and powered by a touch sensitive switch circuit. The touch plate sensor is preferably of a circular shape and to be placed within the sensor openings in the sensor section of the switch body cover plate.
When the touch plate sensor is contacted by a person through its finger member, this creates a grounded circuit to turn on a light circuit in a remote location such as a family room, lights on a stairway, garage lights, an appliance, or other such place to which the touch sensitive switch circuit is attached.
The touch sensitive switch circuit is well known in the prior art and operates similar to the well known use of similar circuits on a brass lamp so that the light is turned on, dimmed, and brightened merely by the touching of an outer surface of a brass lamp. In fact, the applicant""s invention herein is not specifically directed to any touch sensitive switch assembly and numerous types thereof are well known in the prior art. The disclosure herein relates to such a known circuitry for a touch sensitive switch, inventor Howard S. Leopold, Patent No. 4,360,737 issued on Nov. 23, 1982.
The power supply cord is operable to be attached to an appliance or a lighting fixture such as a ceiling light, table lamp, or the like in order to energize same on touching of the touch plate sensor. This invention relates to utilizing three of the touch plate sensors so that three different light fixtures or appliances can be energized independently merely by the touching of the respective touch plate sensor by a person""s finger.
One object of this invention is to provide a corner light switch assembly having a main switch body and a switch body cover plate connected thereto presenting a 90 degree structure which can be readily mounted on a corner edge of a wall corner so as to present a touch plate sensor which can be readily touched an located after one finds the corner edge, even in darkness, in order to then easily energize an appliance or a light fixture by the mere touching of a touch plate sensor.
Another object of this invention is to provide a corner light switch assembly of a generally 90 degree shape so as to be placed against and secured to a corner edge on a wall corner and having a plurality of touch plate sensors, each operable independently through a touch sensitive switch circuit to energize any remote located appliance or light fixture connected thereto.
One other object of this invention is to provide a corner light switch assembly to be mounted on a corner edge of a wall corner and having a switch body cover plate of a 90 degree shape constructed of a transparent plastic material so that it can be mounted on existing corner edges of a wall corner without obstructing the view of an adjacent painted wall or wall paper covering.
Still, one other object of this invention is to provide a corner light switch assembly being of L-shape so as to be mounted on a corner edge of a wall corner permitting a subject corner light switch sensor to be readily found by one in the dark in order to energize a light fixture, appliance, or the like and being economical to manufacture; easy to install; substantially low cost; easy to locate in the dark after finding the wall corner; and substantially maintenance free.
Another object of this invention is to provide a touch sensitive switch assembly which can be connected between the load, such as an appliance or light fixture, to be connected in a phase terminal of an alternating current supply without direct access to a neutral line of the supply.
A further object of this invention is to provide a touch sensitive switch assembly which will alternately connect and disconnect a load from an AC supply in response to each respective sequential touching of a touch plate sensor.
Various other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following discussion, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: